Not for the first time, and hopefully not the last, did 'Honest Hanzo' want to reach to his hip flask due to the frankly... idiotic statements that some of his 'fellow council members' made. After all, they were aware that they were meant to be an advisory body for the Kage, weren't they? And that all things aside, the only authority that they actually had was largely that which the ninja allowed to have? Because as he looked across the isle towards the increasingly hard to read clan heads, he was afraid that he would be proven wrong, that THIS would be the time where the patience of the trained killers would snap.

Which placed him in the kill zone by virtue of being on the council. He took quick stock, because if he managed to duck and hide long enough for tempers to cool, maybe he could escape just with a fine and demotion in status? The village had just ben invaded and the fox had briefly been seen. He had already made some offerings at the shrine and would be continuing to do so for the next month that according to the rumor mill, young Naruto was still alive, and thus the fox had not escaped.

But, even aside from that? The third was dead, killed by his own student even as one of their allies invaded them, causing many deaths and a good deal of damage to the infrastructure. The trained, magical killers were, understandably, somewhat on edge and their tempers frayed by the whole affair. This was not a time to listen to the elders (meaning Danzo) and that trying to size power was, in the vacuum of the thirds death and the lack of one that was... acceptable for a number of reasons. Not least was because this just made them disposable pawns.

Granted, as he looked at his counterparts, taking out some small bottles, discreetly showing them... and not reacting as tiny puffs of smoke signaled the swap. That, or it could be on the hidden ANBU making the switch and it was a con. I had no fancy magic chakra powers to really be able to tell, other than seeing some small nods among the people with REAL power in the room, while one of his idiot peers does their best to baffle ninjas with legal bullshit, shielded by the roots of the councils biggest hard ass.

He was going to have to buy so much more 'apology booze, wasn't he?

Tsunade

She glared at one of her Senei's biggest mistakes. Sure, it sounded like a good idea all those years ago, something to help delegate the workload and to keep tabs on the civilian population, but what it grew into? Just about the only one that seemed tolerable was the twitchy one who gave her a bottle of something that wasn't sake, 'in the hopes that the experience would serve as some small compensation for being called away from the duties of her choice and into the dread arena of politics.'

As far as bribes went? She was not sure how he was intending to butter her up... even as he passed other bottles to all the other clan heads. Something to keep an eye on. And then some of the pampered and perfumed idiots started talking, started making demands, started talking shit about Naruto. Sure, she would punch the kid, throw some things at him, but he was also the only reason she was in the village at all. She considered things, as most of the civilians seemed to be bloated on their own self importance , as they spoke of the 'Last Uchiha.'

All of their yammering was giving her a headache, as they tried to defend a traitor and punish one of the few bright spots in her life. But, the shifty one spoke, interrupting the fat one. "Jinbo, fellow civilian councillors. There may be aspects of this that are beyond me and my comprehension, but from all that has been said, not only are all involved in the affair active ninja, but ones engaged in their official duties. I am being rude, but at the same time I do not see how our advice or perspective would be useful or sought after when it comes to the militaries internal affairs?"

She blinked, as a part of her? As another raised his hand and sneered, as they shouted of laws and votes... well, what do you know. There was one with sense. That was a rare find, as the civilians started shouting and screaming... and demanding that their will be done. She may have snapped, her hand around ones neck. Now, she could have said something along the lines of legal authority only mattering if you were string enough to enforce it, and if they wanted to make demands of HER?

Well, they could TRY and stop her. But,. she was running on near empty after some exhausting nights in the hospital, too little food and drink and just a splash of sake. Would she really regret crushing the mans skull with her hands while telling her clan heads to clear the rot? Not really, far fewer headaches in the long run, after she gets into that nice bed and wakes up in time for not-violence.

'Honest Hanzo'

As he settled into his little bunker for the night, Hanzo considered the fact that he was the ONLY surviving civilian councillor. Apparently, his combination of only offering advice, providing the clan heads and security with booze and in general knowing his limits paid off with his survival. And so he curled up in the shower, crying in a ball as he screamed and processed how close to death he had been that night... and how it was unlikely he would ever be able to get AWAY from politics now.

After all, he was the 'sensible and reliable' one because his ego could not be mistaken for a boss summon! That drew another round of whimpers from him, and he wondered why?